Depression Ratings and Antidepressant Use among Outpatient Heart Failure Patients: Implications for the Screening and Treatment of Depression

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of antidepressant use among heart failure (HF) outpatients. METHODS: Self-reported data on antidepressant use, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) ratings, and demographics, as well as HF diagnosis severity, was collected from 218 New York Heart Association (NYHA) Classes I-IV HF outpatients (mean age 57.29 years). RESULTS: The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms (BDI > 10) was 43.1% (n = 94); 23.4% had a prior diagnosis of depression. Thirty-three percent of patients were taking antidepressants but, despite this treatment, 64% still showed at least mild-moderate depressive symptoms (BDI > or = 10) compared to 34% of patients not currently receiving antidepressants (p = 0.05). When asked if their mood had improved as a result of antidepressant therapy, 45% reported responses ranging from "halfway back to normal" to no improvement at all; BDI scores were related to self-reports of how well antidepressant therapy affected patient's mood (p < .01). Among patients receiving antidepressants (primarily SSRIs), 26% did not have a formal depression diagnosis prior to receiving antidepressants, and 39.1% reported never having had a dose adjustment in antidepressant medication. Similar numbers of patients were prescribed antidepressants by primary care physicians as mental health providers, while much fewer cardiologists prescribed antidepressants. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide insight into practice and provider patterns related to antidepressant use in HF. HF patients treated with antidepressants still show high rates of depressed mood, and follow-up and monitoring of effectiveness of antidepressant therapy needs attention. Effective treatment of depression could support improved clinical outcomes and better quality of life for HF patients.